Bruised
by Herochick007
Summary: Ginny sees Draco with a black eye and teases him about who gave it to him. Little does she know it whole exchange will lead to a revealed secret and a connection she'd never dreamed of. Warning: mentions child abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter**

**Word count: 1164**

**Warning: Mentions of child abuse**

"How'd you get the shiner?" Ginny asked, giving Draco a smirk. She'd just started her third year and run into Draco on the train. She had a feeling Ron had found him first. Who else would have punched the Malfoy heir in the face?

"None of your business, Weaslette," he growled. She snorted as he glared at her.

"So, one of my brothers? What did you say we were poor again?" she teased. Draco didn't bother responding. He just stalked down the corridor of the train and disappeared into a compartment. Ginny laughed. She'd have to get the whole story from Ron once she found him.

"What? Someone punched Malfoy, and I missed it!" Ron yelled. Ginny motioned for him to keep his voice down.

"If it wasn't you, then who did it? I had my money on you, the twins aren't the sort to use their fists."

"Wasn't Harry or Hermione either, they were with me the whole time," Ron added. Ginny wrinkled her nose. Why did she even care who had punched Draco in the face? It wasn't like he was a nice boy who deserved to be treated as such. No, he was a right git, and his evil father had given her the diary that had nearly ruined her life. She'd spent most of last year and the summer before that in therapy with a mind healer. Maybe she cared because she wanted to give the person a bouquet of flowers.

"Guess we'll find out eventually, I mean, someone's going to take credit in the common room tonight?"

"Yeah, sure, hey look I got Montogue the Magnificent as my chocolate frog card!" Ron exclaimed, completely ignoring Ginny again. She glared at him but wandered off to find someone else to talk to, she was used to her brothers ignoring her.

She'd only walked a few feet when a sound caught her ears. Crying, someone was crying. It was a soft muffled crying, the kind where you're trying to hide the fact you're crying.

"Probably a homesick first year," she muttered. She remembered her first time riding the Hogwarts Express, how excited and scared she'd been. She made the decision in that instant to find the first year and comfort them! She followed the sound down the train, until she reached a locked compartment. She knocked on the door.

"Hey, you alright in there?" she asked. She didn't get a reply. "Look, I know it's scary going to Hogwarts for the first time, but it's going to be alright," she said through the door. A few minutes later the handle turned.

"Really? Weaselette? You think I'm some dumb little firstie for you to comfort?" Draco asked. Ginny bit back a laugh.

"You're crying like one," she retorted. Draco stared at her.

"Well, how about I give you something to cry about and see how you sound?"

"Try me, I've got six brothers, I don't cry easily, Malfoy."

"Your father's an idiot," Draco stated. Ginny laughed.

"Really? Starting with my dad? At least he loves me, despite all his flaws," she said. "Bet your daddy's never even tucked you into bed, Malfoy. Got the house elves to do it for him?"

"Shut up, Weaselette!"

"Ohh, did I hit a nerve? Who hit your face, Malfoy, because I've got a long list of people that I think might have done it, pretty much everyone in the school!"

"No one would dare touch me at school," Draco stated. "Guess the same goes for you, little blood traitor," he snarled. Ginny blinked.

"No one at school...," her face paled as her mind put two and two together to equal a number close enough to four.

"No, I mean, he's evil, but really? Draco, did your dad do this to you?" she asked, nodding to his eye.

"He's not evil, and why would my father hit me when he could delegate it to someone else," Draco muttered. Ginny took a step closer to him and touched his eye.

"You don't deserve this,"she whispered.

"You said I did, that anyone at school would be happy to punch me in the face."

"Yeah, cause you're a git to them. Your parents have no right to do this, they're supposed to love you, protect you," she babbled staring at the slightly older boy.

"Why do you even care, Weaselette?"

"Cause, I dunno. I've got some bruise paste in bag, if you'd like it. I keep for Quidditch injuries," she said after a moment. Draco stared at her.

"You want to help me?"

"Why, is that such a foreign idea, me helping you?"

"A blood traitor helping me, yes. Nearly as bad as a Mudblood helping me, thank Merlin that little know it all isn't here."

"She is a bit... obnoxious sometimes. She got my brother a planner for Christmas, it talks."

"How pointless," Draco muttered. Ginny smirked.

"For Ron, yeah, pretty pointless. So, um, you want the bruise paste?"

"Fine, but can you help me put it on, I can't do it with my eyes closed, and I can't keep one eye open at a time."

"Sure, I can help," she answered, allowing Draco to lead her into the compartment. "Now, hold still," she stated, gently applying the paste to Draco's face. She couldn't help but notice how smooth his cheeks were, how soft his skin was.

"There you go, it should look better by the time we get to school."

"Good, now get out of here before someone wonders why I've got you alone in my compartment," Draco growled. Ginny gave him a smile, a not so innocent looking little smile.

"Well, since everyone's going to assume the same thing, why don't you at least kiss me?" she asked.

"Me, kiss you?"

"Sure, why not, not like it would mean anything. I just want to see if the rumors are true."

"Rumors, about me being a good kisser?"

"Pansy says so, if you believe a word out of her mouth."

"Never kissed her," Draco said. "Sure, why not, as long as you don't tell about..."

"I won't," Ginny promised. She was already planning to break that promise as soon as she could owl home. Mr. Malfoy having Draco hit in the face was just the kind of information needed to bring him down. She only hoped Draco wouldn't be too mad when he found out what she'd done.

"Fine, one kiss, that's it!"

"Deal," she agreed, leaning in slightly. She was nearly Draco's height, having always been on the tall side. Their lips met for a brief moment. For a brief moment, Ginny forgot everything that was in her head. For a brief moment, too brief, everything fell away leaving nothing but him and her. He broke the kiss and stared at her.

"You should go, Ginny, before people do talk," he whispered. She nodded sliding from the compartment. Maybe she could find another way to help Draco, one that didn't involve breaking her promise completely?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter.

_Dear Bill, _

_school is going as well as expected this year. I made a new friend, well, maybe a friend, on the train ride. The problem is... well, I can't tell what the problem is. I need some advice on how not to break a promise. If I tell something really bad might happen. I can't write Mum and Dad, so I thought, maybe you might have some idea what I should do. I really don't want anyone to get hurt._

_Your sister,_

_Ginny_

Ginny folded the letter a few times. She stuck it in her pocket and climbed up to the owlry. She knew Bill would have some advice. He also wouldn't ask too many questions. She'd kept enough secrets for him that he owed her.

Errol was sitting on a perch, pretending he wasn't half asleep.

"Wake up you feathered annoyance," she muttered. Errol opened one eye, hooted loudly at Ginny and tried to peck her hand. They had never gotten along, well not since Ginny had tried to put an Easter bonnet on Errol's head when Percy had first gotten him.

"Take this to Bill, and do it quickly. Please, it's important," she told the owl. Errol regarded her for a moment before taking off. Ginny watched him fly away, hoping Bill would get the letter in a semi-timely manner and that he would be able to help her help Draco.

Knowing it might take awhile for Bill to respond,Ginny started trying to work out her own plan. Her plan involved somehow Draco's lips touching hers again. She had watched him in the Great Hall at dinner. He'd been laughing with Crabbe and Goyle. He'd caught her looking at him and looked away. Suddenly, he wasn't laughing anymore. Ginny wondered if they had been talking about her and her family again. She knew what Draco's family thought of hers. That they were blood traitors, that they were no better than Muggle-borns. She wanted to pretend the fact Draco might have been laughing about her family didn't hurt her, but it did.

"I don't care, it still doesn't excuse what his father did," she muttered, strengthening her resolve to somehow help Draco. Maybe if this worked, it would turn around how he saw her, and her family.


End file.
